Yesterday's trade involving David Perron and Magnus Paajarvi showed me the Oilers are finished "waiting" for prospects to develop. That doesn't mean they won't allows Oscar Klefbom, Martin Marincin and Darnell Nurse time to mature, but Craig MacTavish won't be afraid to deal one of his young players for a more mature and proven, yet still young, NHL player.

The rebuild stage isn't completely over, but I believe the Oilers are entering a new phase that will be more about shaping the team instead of just stockpiling young talent.

Perron is only 25 years old, but he's entering his 7th NHL season. He's clearly the better player today, and likely will be in the future.

I'm surprised how many people have suggested Paajarvi will mature into a better player. He is a better skater, and he's bigger, but he doesn't play bigger and he's never been a big-time scorer at any level, so I'm curious what they base that assumption on. Someone actually suggested to me that Paajarvi could be like Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk wasn't a scorer in Russia, but he became one in the NHL.

It is true Datsyuk wasn't a big scorer in Russia, but he also wasn't drafted until he was 20 and was taken in the 6th round. He was the ultimate late developer, and no offence to Paajarvi, he doesn't possess 1/2 of Datsyuk's offensive skill, but very few NHL players do. It is great to find the one the player who defines the odds and stats, but assuming that Paajarvi is suddenly going to develop above average "hands" is wishful thinking.

I think Paajarvi will have a long NHL career, but he doesn't have the offensive capabilities of Perron. I think Perron will fit in well with the Oilers, while Paajarvi will give the Blues some much needed speed in their top-nine, but I don't see him becoming a scorer in St. Louis.

I know points are only one aspect of the game, and Perron doesn't solve the Oilers need for a big, skilled forward, but he plays a grittier game than Paajarvi. This trade gives MacTavish another skilled forward, and Perron is a better asset than Paajarvi.

Perron does have warts, however, and the biggest concern is whether he is willing to consistently go to the tough areas to score.

Early in Perron’s career he was consistently among the league leaders in drawing penalties. He was incredibly difficult to knock off the puck and could protect the puck with one hand on his stick as good any player in the game. His ability to use his edges and fend off defenders was extremely impressive. He would often find himself near the crease of the opposing goaltender after the whistle where he had a knack of getting under the skin of the opposition.

But as his career progressed following his return from the concussion, we began seeing less of the game he displayed in his first few seasons. Even when Perron scored 21 goals in 57 games there was concern he wasn’t entering the hard areas of the ice as he once did.

Were the secondary concerns of his concussion mentally affecting his game? It’s a fair question to ask following his performance last season. There’s no doubt Perron felt somewhat handcuffed playing in a system that places a far greater emphasis on structure than creativity. He has an idea of how he needs to play to be successful and will be surrounded by more players that complement his style in Edmonton than he was in St. Louis.

PERRON SPEAKS

Perron came on my radio show yesterday to discuss the trade.

Gregor: Were you surprised you were traded?

Perron: I heard my name a little bit around the NHL draft weekend. I wasn’t sure if it was going to get done. I was actually in Montreal today doing some media stuff for a hockey pool for next year. I got the call from Doug Armstrong and it was just a real shock at first, you don’t know what to think. As soon as you start thinking about the Edmonton Oilers and their team- It was exciting and the type of hockey that I like to play. I can’t wait to be joining the team and doing whatever I can to help them.

Gregor: The Oilers play a more up-tempo game than what Ken Hitchcock had in St. Louis. Why does that fit your game better?

Perron: I think if you look at the players that are on there, their skill level is incredible. I’m just going to try to come in and help them and play a big role on the team. I think, obviously, in St. Louis it’s pretty defensive minded hockey. At the same time, it’s a winning culture and I think it’s important to try to bring that into Edmonton. I think the team is really going in the right direction with all the moves that they are making.

Gregor: Ken Hitchcock told one of my co-workers, Mark Spector, that you played left wing, but he felt you were better on the right side when you attacked in the offensive zone. Which wing do you feel more comfortable on?

Perron: I like to play on the left side a little more. I think on the right side in St.Louis when I was playing there, the way we play is coming into the zone and we tried to hit the far pad on the goalie to create some rebounds and create some havoc in the zone. It seems to me that the Oilers are a much more puck possession team, trying to go in the zone with it. That’s why I think I’d like to play the left side a little more, but obviously I don’t think it matters too much. I’ll just try to fit in and hopefully have a lot of fun with these guys.

Gregor: Do you feel you are a guy who is not only skilled, but willing to go to the tough areas to score?

Perron: Well that’s something I’ve always tried to do even in juniors and coming into the NHL. When I was nineteen years old, I played with Keith Tkachuk for a couple years. He’s obviously a big guy, and told everyone to go to the net, that’s where you’ll score your ugly goals and at the end of the year you’ll have five or ten more just because you went there. He was really one of the big influences on me going to the net and obviously I like to have the puck on my stick. I like to carry it and make plays, but at the same time I try to play a game that’s going to try to draw penalties and do stuff like that.

Gregor: How is your health? Have you fully recovered from the concussion? Where do you see yourself as far as a guy moving forward, can you be a sixty point player?

Perron: I feel like I can be and that’s what I want to do. I want to improve every single year. I think for me, coming back from the concussion it seems like November, December, the months went by. It’s tough to kind of keep that same level of shape when you don’t know if you’re going to play. Then all of a sudden, we started playing in January. I felt like it was tough on me, it was tough on a lot of guys around the league. This summer, it feels so good for me training-wise and nutrition-wise, just doing all the right things that I can to improve in the off-season and something I didn’t have the luxury to do in the last two to three years.

Gregor: Were you close to going to play in Europe last year during the lockout?

Perron: Actually, guys with concussions I guess they’re not insured. Whoever had a concussion, even if you missed two days, three days, four days, it doesn’t matter, even if you miss a year, you’re not insured to try to go overseas and play in Europe. That’s the reason, talking to my agent, that he didn’t want me to go. I think it’s the same reason for a lot of guys, Crosby and many guys who have had a concussion before have decided to stay here. I was supposed to be going to Switzerland with one of my friends here in Sherbrooke, but I decided not to go.

WRAP UP

The Oilers won the Perron/Paajarvi trade, but MacTavish is aware he needs to make more moves. It isn't easy acquiring a big, skilled forward, and I don't see him acquiring one in a Hemsky trade. I suspect Hemsky gets dealt for a 3rd line winger with size.

Four LA Kings: Trevor Lewis, Alec Martinez, Jake Muzzin and Jordan Nolan all filed for arbitration. The Kings only have $5 million in cap space to sign those four and Kyle Clifford. Some have suggested the Kings will put Jarret Stoll on LTIR, but that is premature thinking. The Kings are in a cap crunch, and if I'm MacTavish I'd be making calls about Clifford. An offer sheet is off the table now that the Oilers don't have their 2nd round pick.

Many wondered why I didn't write an article on why the Oilers should make an offer sheet for Alex Pietrangelo or Chris Stewart instead of Clifford. Clearly, both of them are better than Clifford, but I felt the Clifford offer sheet was less of a gamble, and with the Kings tight to the cap the chance of it working was higher.

The only way the Blues let Pietrangelo walk is if the Oilers offered him a $9 million cap hit, and even then they might match. If the Oilers offer him $9 million, and the Blues didn't match it the Oilers would have to give them four 1st round picks. I don't believe the Oilers have enough depth in the organization to go four years without a 1st rounder.

Stewart is an interesting case. He's a rare breed; a skilled power forward, but he's also been inconsistent. He did shed 25 pounds last summer after learning he was allergic to brown rice and eliminated it from his diet. He's only 25 and he's already had two 28-goal seasons, and he had 18 last year (prorates to 30 over 82 game season).

Would a four-year deal at $5.5- $5.7 million be enough to scare of the Blues? Would it be a wise move by the Oilers? I'd make that move, but I still doubt the Blues would let him walk. They traded Perron to make cap space to sign Stewart and Pietrangelo.

Here is the compensation chart for offer sheets:

OFFER COMPENSATION

$1,110,249 or below None
Over $1,110,249 to $1,682,194 Third-round choice
Over $1,682,194 to $3,364,391 Second-round choice
Over $3,364,391 to $5,046,585 First-round and third-round choice
Over $5,046,585 to $6,728,781 1st, 2nd and a 3rd round choice
Over $6,728,781 to $8,410,976 Two 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd round choice
Over $8,410,976 Four first-round choices

RECENTLY BY JASON GREGOR

One of Canada's most versatile sports personalities. Jason hosts The Jason Gregor Show, weekdays from 2 to 6 p.m., on TSN 1260, and he writes a column every Monday in the Edmonton Journal. You can follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JasonGregor

This trade makes no sense to me, and I can't figure out how anyone who saw the improvement in MPS' game last year can think Edmonton "won" when you factor in the cap hit and the draft pick.

I'm glad Kovalchuk is gone. He was scum. LouLam dodged a bullet getting out of that idiotic contract.

Hopefully for the Oilers sake Yakupov doesn't get the same urge down the road. I would trade him.

Yakupov moved his entire family here. Completely different scenarios. Have you met Kovalchuk? How do you know he is scum? Did he hurt your feelings somehow? Is it your money? Is it your family? Were you in the room with Lou?

Peron's cap hit is an excellent price point for a 2nd line winger. Maggie will never put up the number Peron has/will, especially in Hitchcocks system.

I'm hearing the Flames are SOL on a new building. No federal, provincial or taxpayers dollars will go towards this new building. There isn't a bad seat in the saddledome for hockey games. They'll probably get new retractable seats in the lower bowl, fix the electrical issues and give the place a good scrubbing. I don't think they'll be playing this up to get a new building. After what they've been through recently. Giving those millionaires a new building to play hockey in, is the last thing on the city of Calgarys minds.

What a stupid hill to kill a relationship on. As a new GM your first big move establishes a fair deal with another potential long term trading partner, as well as establishes your reputation around the league as someone willing to make deals beneficial to both sides, and the first thing you do is completely destroy all of that just so we can get back Magnus Paajarvi? No thanks.

Not to leach of the comment of the year from the article yesterday.... but how pissed would St. Louis be if we did offer sheet Paajarvi for $1,682,000. Most likely it would be matched and more or less wonder if Maggie would even sign it if he just got traded. But pulling that off would be a huge addition to depth on the team. Paajarvi , hemsky and Gordon seems like it would be and advanced stat geek third line wet dream.

Teams that are hard up against the cap are usually the teams that you have to beat on the way to the SCF. After losing the Western finals to Detroit, Chicago signed Hossa from right under the Wings' noses with a ridiculous contract and won the Cup the next year.

San Jose lost to Chicago in the Western Finals, and that summer, SJ offer sheets Niemi and Hjarmalsson, adding to the salary cap hell in Chicago. Chicago took a few years to recover. SJ, well, they have other problems and never made it back themselves. But offer sheets are a good weapon if you use them at the right time. You can really throw another Cup contender into a tail spin. The Oilers don't need to make offer sheets right now. They should be wary of teams trying to pick their bones if they poorly manage the cap during our window of opportunity for winning.

Kovy RETIRES: Here is how you turn nothing into something. We trade Hemmer and swap 2014 1st rounders with NJ for Larrson. Here's the logic. 2014 1st for NJD is a dead pick (forfeited from Kovy signing). The Devils get Hemmer, and go from -1 first round picks, to +1 1st round picks. THAT's the equivalent of two firsts swing. WOULD the Devils trade Larrson for 2 1sts, and Hemmer? DO we need to sweeten with a D prospect? Gernat? Maricin? Better question, does the NHL allow this to happen? Thoughts?

NJ can't trade their first round pick. It is already gone. Even if they didn't lose it your math is crazy, it would not be equivalent to two first round picks. Maybe Hemsky + first round + prospect would get it done.

A good comparable for this Gagner contract, must be TJ Oshies deal with the Blues. TJ is a liitle better than Sam in most statistical categories. Oshie makes 4.175 for the next 3 years. The last two years of TJs deal would also have been UFA eligible yrs.

MacT has made a couple of nice moves but the team is not much closer to the playoffs.

The competition in the Oilers new division will be brutal and teams they will be competing with for a wild card spot are improving more rapidly (see Columbus and Colorado).

LA will be solid,
Anaheim what team will show up?
San Jose.. Just what is their deal?
Vancouver.. Well they're in the midst of a crash
Phoenix.. They'll be their usual selfs.
Calgary.. Kaboom

So, Edmonton has improved their roster more then anyone above DSF, and you really think Taylor Hall and Co, with a better support staff, and a coaching system that can defend a lead more to their style.. Won't be battling for a playoff spot more then they were last year up to about 8games left?

Your bitterness clouds judgement, making your other comments that are sometimes useful, overlooked.

The more I think of it, the better the trade seems for us. Sure, maybe Perron doesn't turn out, but maybe PRV looks at the StL roster and decides he isn't going to get the ice he wants and goes home.

Gregor, have you heard anything about Gagner? I figure with arbitration looming, if they cannot come to a deal before his hearing he will be dealt? I just don't see management risking going to a one year arbitration settlement.

The more I think of it, the better the trade seems for us. Sure, maybe Perron doesn't turn out, but maybe PRV looks at the StL roster and decides he isn't going to get the ice he wants and goes home.

Gregor, have you heard anything about Gagner? I figure with arbitration looming, if they cannot come to a deal before his hearing he will be dealt? I just don't see management risking going to a one year arbitration settlement.

I suspect they get a deal done.

Keep in mind last year, Oshie, Versteeg and Perron all filed for arbitration and Perron and Versteeg got 4 year deals, while Oshie got 5.

Great thanks; Perron looks to be a nice winger for a player like Gagner.

It's interesting how this move heralds a new era for this team. It's almost surreal to think the constant rebuilding might be over after all of these years of gloom and doom----as a fan, it's easy to just get used to it; the players must be ecstatic.

"Someone actually suggested to me that Paajarvi could be like Pavel Datsyuk. Datsyuk wasn't a scorer in Russia, but he became one in the NHL."

The fact that Datsyuk's story is so well articulated is an indication to me of how rare and special it is. Banking on MPS becoming the next Datsyuk is fools gold.

More specifically, if MPS was to become someone, it's more likely he'd be a Pisani type. A very useful player with offensive upside, and, as we all know, the ability to get unbelievably hot when it counts the most.

That aside, I loved MPS' honest game. A lot of what he provided did not show up on the score sheet, BUT in his rookie season, his defensive play was MILES ahead of Gagner and Cogliano, and I think it still is.

I like the LW/RW versatility of Perron. I like Yakupov on the right side for scoring goals, but maybe Yak is better defensively on the left side, being a left shot. Just adds to the options.

As far as a big bodied winger that can play top 6, those are hard to find and expensive to acquire. Clarkson was offered Taylor Hall-type money to come here. Expensive. The cheaper option would be to find the next Brian Bickell. Bickell was a 4th liner who benefited from the opportunity and discovering something in his game, to be an effective power forward. Bickell is 27, and there was nothing in his game previously to suggest that he'd take off the way he did.

So from the Bickell example, I give you Jesse Joensuu. He's big bodied 25 year old. Maybe he can be that guy, but probably not. I think that the lack of size in the top 6 will only cause problems in the playoffs, especially if they match up against a bigger team. In the meantime, let the skilled top 6 carry us to the playoffs while auditioning a couple of bigger guys to see if we can find a diamond in the rough.

Those 8/9 million dollar contracts bring more doom to an organization than they do help. So much tied up in one player must create hardships on other areas of the hockey club. A lot of those contracts end up getting bought out anyways, Bryzgalov,Lecavilier, maybe even Weber soon in that small market of Nashville.

Maybe it's time to bring some Kaos to a few teams. Create a distraction, and maybe free up other players on that clubs roster. Time would be of the essence, with teams forced to deal with the suddenly realistic salary cap this summer. Blowing something up to create an distraction, and perhaps acquire another player from that roster.

MacTavish could accomplish more with a kind word and a gun, than he will with just a kind word. Times are tough, bring some DOOM to some teams Craig, make your own luck. One guy (Pietrangelo) could make a world of difference. Might look good on us after the Penner/Vanek attempts.

•The Oilers won the Perron/Paajarvi trade, but MacTavish is aware he needs to make more moves. It isn't easy acquiring a big, skilled forward, and I don't see him acquiring one in a Hemsky trade. I suspect Hemsky gets dealt for a 3rd line winger with size.

Does this mean you believe one of the kids is leaving to make room for a big skilled forward? If you were a betting man, which one do you think goes?

1. For all of the people constantly suggesting that the Oilers sign Grabovski: it's not going to happen. MacTavish and Co. have openly placed an emphasis on "character" as an important aspect in relation to any new additions to the team and Grabosvki has shown on multiple occasions in the past (leaving the team when MTL scratched him, that biting incident, insulting the coach during his exit interview with the T.O. media) that he is at least questionable in that department. There's no doubt he's a very good hockey player and that, in those terms, he's a pretty good fit for the Oilers. You can make the argument that his hockey skills should make the character issues irrelevant but the fact is is that the Oilers very much do see those issues as relevant. This is not to say signing him isn't a good idea, just that continually arguing that it should happen is fruitless.

2. As for the people constantly saying that the Oilers should trade for a #1D: Who are these elite defencemen that other teams are offering up for trades? Yes, I know they're crazy valuable and would solidify a defensive core for years to come but other GMs certainly know that too. Basically, blue-skying trades and roster make ups is alright, to an extent, but at least try and come up with something that is reasonable and realistic.

I think most competent Oiler fans are a little sad at the loss of MPS simply because it looked like he might have finally been turning a corner. He did a lot of things well: killed penalties, drew penalties, used his speed, was beginning to drive to the net, and finally got some quality ice time with Gagner and Yak. I think fans were beginning to see the emergence of a solid third line winger who could jump up and down the line up as needed. It's tough to invest all that time and effort in to a player only to see another team reap the rewards right at the time that player is bearing fruit.

However, turning what could be a solid third liner with second line potential into a solid second liner with top line potential is a huge win. From all reports Perron plays a scrappy and gritty game which has been sorely lacking in Edmonton, and also has the high end skill to play alongside Gagner and Yak against less than top line competition. It's like getting a younger tougher Hemsky that actually plays on the right wing, allowing Yak to play his natural and clearly better RW position.

With some better D behind us, I don't think the second line is going to get torn apart by larger teams like they were last year. The Oilers, even though the top six still isn't balanced size wise, may just have the dominant skill to mean it doesn't much matter. Our top line dominated last year, and now maybe the second line will follow suite.

Hey JG,... Great reading about Perron and the trade. I for one agree with you and others that he is better now as an NHLer than Paajarvi (tho he's one of the many kids I like on the OIl)...

This is for now and MacT is doing it right. I know that it is hard to make deals in this league in this day and age and yet... MacT is plugging up holes with efficiency and positives. Not Bold or Huge UFA signings or deals but they are just right IMO.

Hey JG.. I have been thinking that if Hemsky can be dealt for two picks (2nd/3rd rounders) or a porspect and a second rounder...why not do this so as to make offer sheets for thos such as Clifford or even Zack Smith?

Or... do ya have any inklings as to there being some good talk between the Oilers/Sens and/or the Oil/Kings already for other trade possibilities for these two guys?

@ Gregor: Where do you rank the Oilers' defence corps in terms of the rest of the division?

I look at J. Schultz, Klefbom, Nurse and the rest of the kiddie corps in the AHL, and see that there's a bright future on the blueline in Edmonton. But they're not there yet. A vet like Ference (and a coach like Eakins) will add a lot to their development, but until we see the Oilers ranking in the top-10 (or even top 15) on the blueline talk of winning now is just talk.

1. For all of the people constantly suggesting that the Oilers sign Grabovski: it's not going to happen. MacTavish and Co. have openly placed an emphasis on "character" as an important aspect in relation to any new additions to the team and Grabosvki has shown on multiple occasions in the past (leaving the team when MTL scratched him, that biting incident, insulting the coach during his exit interview with the T.O. media) that he is at least questionable in that department. There's no doubt he's a very good hockey player and that, in those terms, he's a pretty good fit for the Oilers. You can make the argument that his hockey skills should make the character issues irrelevant but the fact is is that the Oilers very much do see those issues as relevant. This is not to say signing him isn't a good idea, just that continually arguing that it should happen is fruitless.

2. As for the people constantly saying that the Oilers should trade for a #1D: Who are these elite defencemen that other teams are offering up for trades? Yes, I know they're crazy valuable and would solidify a defensive core for years to come but other GMs certainly know that too. Basically, blue-skying trades and roster make ups is alright, to an extent, but at least try and come up with something that is reasonable and realistic.

At this point, the only thing MacT should do is add another veteran centre and explore improving one of your top 6 Dmen. We want to build a team that will make the playoffs and solidifying these two positions will go a long ways in accomplishing that goal.

Opportunities to add a power forward or a star defenceman make come at trade deadline or next summer. Those are steps you take if you want to progress from playoff qualifier to Stanley Cup contender. We're not there yet, so we don't need to be overpaying now to get those types of players.

^yup, just heard it on the radio....bet he takes a year off ala Tim Thomas, then comes back? therefore, Hemmer at 1 year left @5mil/per makes sense. Kovy comes back the season after and the Devils say bye bye to Hemmer.

^yup, just heard it on the radio....bet he takes a year off ala Tim Thomas, then comes back? therefore, Hemmer at 1 year left @5mil/per makes sense. Kovy comes back the season after and the Devils say bye bye to Hemmer.

They do not have enough assets to start burning through first round draft picks. Any offer less than this (say just having to give up a 3rd) is just going to be matched.

The Penner offer sheet is part of what put the Oilers in the position they are in now. They could of had Tyler Myers, Justin Schultz (turned out they got him anyway) and maybe someone like Adam Henrique instead of Penner. Sure they got Klefbom, but he is years behind the guys drafted in 2008.

There are a bunch of teams that are going to have to waive players or trade them on unfavourable terms due to salary cap crunches or internal budgets. For example OTT has an internal cap of just $50 Million because their owner is a greedy bastard.

If I am MacT I am a little nervous that I might not get much back for Hemsky, but I know that some decent bottom six guys are going to be available for cheap come late August.

Oh man, what a big FU to New Jersy. First they basically sink their season because they can only dress a certain number of guys, then they get penalized and have to give up a first round draft (now next year in a crazy deep draft). Then he announces his retirement just after all the big name free agents are bought up, freeing up cap space just in time for New Jersey to be able to sing... no one.